Psalm 89:6

For who in the heaven can be compared unto the LORD? who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the LORD?

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(6) Sons of the mighty.—Rather, sons of God—i.e., angels. (Comp. Psalm 29:1.)

Benson Commentary

Psalm 89:6-7. Who among the sons of the mighty — That is, of the most mighty princes upon earth: or among the highest angels; who well may and needs must admire and adore thee, because thou art incomparably and infinitely more excellent than they. God is greatly to be feared — With a fear of reverence; for dread and terror have no place in those blessed mansions, and holy spirits. In the assembly of the saints — The whole society of angels, called saints, or holy ones, again, as in Psalm 89:5. And to be had in reverence of all about him — The angels, who are always in his presence, and encompass his throne.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

89:5-14 The more God's works are known, the more they are admired. And to praise the Lord, is to acknowledge him to be such a one that there is none like him. Surely then we should feel and express reverence when we worship God. But how little of this appears in our congregations, and how much cause have we to humble ourselves on this account! That almighty power which smote Egypt, will scatter the enemies of the church, while all who trust in God's mercy will rejoice in his name; for mercy and truth direct all he does. His counsels from eternity, and their consequences to eternity, are all justice and judgment.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For who in the heaven ... - literally, In the cloud; that is, in the sky. The idea is that none in the regions above - the upper world - can be compared with God. There is no other god - there is no one among the angels, great and glorious as they are, that can be likened to him.

Who among the sons of the mighty ... - The angels - regarded as mighty. The "sons of the mighty" on earth are spoken of as mighty men - as men of power - as men of exalted rank. So here, the idea is, that none of the angels, though of exalted rank ("principalities," or "powers," compare Romans 8:38; Ephesians 1:21), could be put in comparison with God. See the notes at Isaiah 40:25.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

6, 7. This is worthy of our belief, for His faithfulness (is praised) by the congregation of saints or holy ones; that is, angels (compare De 33:2; Da 8:13).

sons of the mighty—(compare Ps 29:1). So is He to be admired on earth.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Among the sons of the mighty; either, first, among the potentates of the earth; or rather, secondly, among the highest angels; who well may and needs must admire and adore time, because thou art incomparably and infinitely more excellent than they.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

For who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord?.... Or "ranked" (n), or put upon a par, with him; none of the angels in heaven; for though they are holy, wise, knowing, powerful, faithful, kind, and merciful creatures, yet not to be compared with the Lord for holiness, wisdom, knowledge, strength, faithfulness, and mercy; see Exodus 15:11,

who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord? the Syriac version very wrongly renders it "the sons of angels", seeing angels do not propagate their species, Luke 20:36 to which Kimchi agrees, who makes the "mighty" to be angels, and their sons to be the host of heaven, which are moved and guided by them: the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Ethiopic, and Arabic versions, render it "the sons of God"; and this phrase, indeed, is applicable to the angels, Job 38:7, and so the Targum interprets it of the multitude of the angels; but rather the mighty men of the earth, and their children, are meant; princes, nobles, judges, and civil magistrates of all sorts, men of power and authority in the world; there are none of them to be likened to the Lord, who is King of kings, and Lord of lords; see Psalm 82:1.

(n) "par aestimetur", Junius & Tremellius; "par aestimabitur", Piscator.

Geneva Study Bible

For who in the heaven can be compared unto the LORD? who among the {g} sons of the mighty can be likened unto the LORD?

(g) Meaning, the angels.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

6, 7. For who in the sky can be compared unto Jehovah?

Who is like Jehovah among the sons of God,

A God greatly to be dreaded in the council of the holy ones,

And to be feared above all that are round about him?

God’s nature is unique, incomparable. Even among celestial beings there is none that can be compared with Him.

The phrase bnç çlîm, found elsewhere only in Psalm 29:1, denotes angels. It might be rendered sons of the mighty, describing them as mighty celestial beings; or sons of the gods, beings “belonging to the class of superhuman, heavenly powers” (Cheyne); but it is best taken as a doubly-formed plural, and rendered as in R.V. marg., sons of God (El); synonymous with bnç Elôhîm in Job 1:6; Job 2:1; Job 38:7.

With Psalm 89:7 cp. Isaiah 8:13. The angels form the council of the great King (Job 15:8, R.V. marg.; Jeremiah 23:18; Jeremiah 23:22), but He towers above them all in unapproachable majesty.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 6. - For who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord? God's angels praise him, and only him; since there is none in heaven or earth to be compared to him. Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord? "The sons of the mighty" are the angels (comp. Psalm 29:1). Psalm 89:6

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

At the close of the promises in Psalm 89:4-5 the music is to become forte. And ויודוּ attaches itself to this jubilant Sela. In Psalm 89:6-19 there follows a hymnic description of the exalted majesty of God, more especially of His omnipotence and faithfulness, because the value of the promise is measured by the character of the person who promises. The God of the promise is He who is praised by the heavens and the holy ones above. His way of acting is פלא, of a transcendent, paradoxical, wondrous order, and as such the heavens praise it; it is praised (יודו, according to Ges. 137, 3) in the assembly of the holy ones, i.e., of the spirits in the other world, the angels (as in Job 5:1; Job 15:15, cf. Deuteronomy 33:2), for He is peerlessly exalted above the heavens and the angels. שׁחק, poetic singular instead of שׁחקים (vid., supra on Psalm 77:18), which is in itself already poetical; and ערך, not, as e.g., in Isaiah 40:18, in the signification to co-ordinate, but in the medial sense: to rank with, be equal to. Concerning בּני אלים, vid., on Psalm 29:1. In the great council (concerning סוד, of both genders, perhaps like כּוס, vid., on Psalm 25:14) of the holy ones also, Jahve is terrible; He towers above all who are about Him (1 Kings 22:19, cf. Daniel 7:10) in terrible majesty. רבּה might, according to Psalm 62:3; Psalm 78:15, be an adverb, but according to the order of the words it may more appropriately be regarded as an adjective; cf. Job 31:34, כּי אערץ המון רבּה, "when I feared the great multitude." In Psalm 89:9 He is apostrophized with אלהי צבאות as being the One exalted above the heavens and the angels. The question "Who is as Thou?" takes its origin from Exodus 15:11. חסין is not the construct form, but the principal form, like גּביר, ידיד, עויל ,יד, and is a Syriasm; for the verbal stem Syr. hṣan is native to the Aramaic, in which Syr. haṣı̄nā' equals שׁדּי. In יהּ, what God is is reduced to the briefest possible expression (vid., Psalm 68:19). In the words, "Thy faithfulness compasseth Thee round about," the primary thought of the poet again breaks through. Such a God it is who has the faithfulness with which He fulfils all His promises, and the promises given to the house of David also, as His constant surrounding. His glory would only strike one with terror; but the faithfulness which encompasses Him softens the sunlike brilliancy of His glory, and awakens trust in so majestic a Ruler.